Future scenarios. Or: Why do designers (and their clients) need more question marks than full stops?
Creativity, brainstorming, way of working: subjects that are currently being discussed in design. The background noise of quick answers is of little interest to me. I’m a fan of questioning, listening, talking and repeat. So here’s my attempt at question marks.
Andreas Weber
July 14, 2020
For me, the future begins with asking questions. They speed up ideas, spark new concepts, curiosity and aha moments. Placing full stops too quickly often stops you from thinking any further. A question mark drives the thought process forward. But above all, it opens up conversations – provided you don’t just ex-change opinions but actually listen. Want to perceive and recognise. Follow up to create transparency. Inform yourself because you want to gather and understand knowledge together in order to be able to make decisions.
Right now, we designers can work together more freely than ever on future
visions for ourselves and our industry – and our clients. Start the discourse. Instead: Answers are met by answers met by answers. Which is not really getting us moving.
So here are a few questions about changing your perspective and getting your brain ticking. Fancy getting into a discussion with me using an answer and a counter question?
Would you rather live in a design by Studio KO, have a forecast by Li Edelkoort, or a song by The Palmers in the future?
Just imagine, you’re not busy and are hugging a tree. Which one would it be, and where would it be?
Designers always want to shape the future: What ideal do you really want to be living in 2025? And what consequences have you accepted for this.
How hard would you have to work to replace five daily “I know!” statements with “Explain it to me” and would it affect your dinner?
Your dream job – which Spotify Playlist describes it best?
Has other people’s trust in your creativity grown more through physical distance than your trust in yourself? Why?
Do you still believe in the principle of optimising creativity? Or are you replacing it with something else?
You’re 75 and you dye your hair. The Getty Center Los Angeles is dedicating a show to your work. What’s the catalogue title?